


Mating

by Blue_Hood



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alpha Bobbi Morse, Alpha Jemma Simmons, Alpha Phil Coulson, Alpha Skye | Daisy Johnson, Alpha Yo Yo Rodriguez, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta Joey Gutierrez, Beta Melinda May, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character(s), Omega Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Omega Andrew Garner, Omega Lance Hunter, Omega Leo Fitz, Omega Lincoln Campbell, Pack Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-01-22 16:20:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Hood/pseuds/Blue_Hood
Summary: True mates trigger an Omega's heat and Alphas have the right to force their mates to submit through scruffing. How does that change things for the team?
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Andrew Garner/Melinda May, Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Andrew Garner/Melinda May
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Huntingbird

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dynamics](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21276404) by [Blue_Hood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Hood/pseuds/Blue_Hood). 

Hunter really hated being an Omega sometimes, especially when his bloody suppressants stopped working at the most inconvenient time. Their contact, Agent Morse, honest to God smirked. She told the mooks who caught him- only because he suddenly went into heat- "I got this, boys." The feral Alphas were clearly disappointed but they obeyed and Morse dragged him to a bedroom. His instincts screaming at him to submit told him she was to blame for his current predicament.

As soon as the door closed, he dropped to his knees and try as he might, only a whimper escaped his lips not words. Morse cupped his chin and he wet himself in anticipation, she was definitely the bloody Alpha responsible for his sudden heat. Even during his first heats, before a pattern developed, he could always scream and shout at Alphas to back off. Morse's hand moved up, still holding his chin which caused him to rise. Once standing, a hand on the back of his neck pushed him towards the bed. She traced a finger down his shirt to his waistband and the look in her eyes as she glanced up had him hurrying to strip. He wanted her on top of him, dominating him and he fucking hated it. Sexual preferences aside, he was not the submissive type. Bloody Alpha causing him to go into a bloody heat, making him all- bloody hell, there goes coherent thought.

Morse found this Omega interesting. From the report the guards gave her, he was a fighter. She knew from the moment he dropped to his knees that she was his Alpha and she could only imagine how pissed he must be that she sent him into heat. However, her instincts were also clouding her mind and she needed to fix that. Once he was bare, she took a moment to appreciate the sight. He wasn't presenting like a normal Omega, giving her easy access to his mating gland or making some other show of submission. Good, normal Omegas didn't do anything for her, even her instincts snuffed them. Since he was so good, she had to reward him.

The striptease made up for some of the situation. He was still pissed but he was starting to appreciate things, and not just because his heat was doing its damndest to cloud his mind. He spread his legs without any prompting from her or his instincts. Her unfaltering smirk preceded the best night of his life. Between rounds, Morse took his com and called off the team. Izzy and Idaho knew he was an Omega but neither of his squadmates really cared, they saw a mouthy little shit, Omega or not.

His mind cleared after the first night, at least enough to finish the mission and get to the extraction point. The rest of his heat was the same total bliss, and afterwards Izzy gave him new pills "Do I really--"

She cut him off "They'll work with the bond so Morse can do her job and you don't have to panic once a month about finding her."

Bobbi found him after her debrief, fingering the box "I'm on those too, well the female version."

"What? They're heat suppressants, Alphas don't-"

"Heat suppressants double as birth control, y'know." She pulled out a bottle "I've been on the bonded kind since I was in college, SHIELD's are much better."

"Why would you-"

"Because otherwise I couldn't take it. They don't actually make birth control for adult Alphas, too much stigma."

"Are you telling me all I had to do was buy birth control instead of regular suppressants and it'd do the same thing as these special suppressants?"

"Pretty much," said Bobbi with a smile.

Hunter was silent for a moment before mumbling "Why don't you scruff me?"

"What?" Bobbi asked "You want me to scruff you?"

"You could, Alpha rights and all. Lord knows I always figured my Alpha'd take full advantage of that."

"I don't see a point," answered Bobbi honestly. "I never liked normal Omegas so why would I want to make you submissive?"

"Ah."

Bobbi realized "We haven't really talked before now. Let's fix that." She led him to the cafeteria. Hunter had no problem around other Alphas or Omegas that Bobbi could see. At least, Hartley seemed to have no problem with an Omega on her team, and it was a small miracle that an Omega was qualified for a STRIKE team.

"I'm sure Izzy told you my name, she only called you Agent Morse."

Her eyebrows rose as she realized they hadn't introduced themselves, "Barbara, my name's Barbara Morse but I prefer Bobbi."

"Alright then," Hunter liked to use nicknames anyway.

"And you?" He looked at her blankly, his box of suppressants in the bag he was carrying that she hadn't asked about. "Do you have a name you prefer?"

"Everyone just calls me Hunter."

"I still don't know your first name."

"Lance."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Hunter admitted "Never thought I'd be doing this."

"Me neither," Bobbi chuckled "Guess we both figured the universe made a mistake."

Hunter relaxed a bit, they were definitely on the same page. She didn't want a submissive mate and he didn't want to be forced to submit. Bobbi pulled out her pills while they were talking and took one, Hunter looked confused by the ease with which she did so before brushing it off. Looking around the cafeteria, she pointed out some other Omega males taking their suppressants and explained it wasn't something to be weird about. He asked about SHIELD's stance on female Alphas and male Omegas, which was awkward for both of them, as he punched out two pills from his starter pack following the instructions. "It's not something explicitly stated beyond a few rules like mates always have an Omega's heat off and a few days after mating to get instincts to settle without incident. None of the rules state gender and suppressants for both genders are standard first aid supplies at all SHIELD run properties. There is one old rule that states gender, a Carter era protocol pertaining to the process for disciplining any personnel for withholding suppressants from male Omegas."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Suppressants are typically treated as first aid supplies, meaning consultants have equal rights to them."


	2. Yo-Yo Mack

Francisco asked her why she brought an Omega in heat to their home, confirming her fear. She tried to explain that he wasn't in heat until she was already on the road. Francisco took this in stride, explaining that he must be her perfect mate. Elena can admit that he's her type, and her cousin pounced on this hesitation. She argued futilely that he probably doesn't speak español. Her Beta cousin shot back that it doesn't matter if she doesn't mate him the first time. Grudgingly, she let him win the fight.

When Mack woke up, he was lying on a bed unrestrained but still too hot in his clothes. He groaned, "What a great time to go into heat?"

A woman on the other side of the room made an inquisitive sound and he shot up, pressing against the wall as he hunched in on himself. "No te voy a lastimar!" (I will not hurt you)

"What?" Apparently, she didn't understand English and his brain was too fried to figure out even basic Spanish. Relaxing his posture, he made frantic gestures "I need to call my team." She nodded and pushed him back to lie down, pointing at a window and shaking her hand in a hot gesture. Of course, the window would make him even warmer if he stayed up.

Leaving the room, Elena had to grapple with a choice. She understood that the Omega wanted a phone but she couldn't exactly give it to him. Or maybe- she gave him a phone and a paper with a photograph. Pointing at the picture, she chanted the word "Policia," figuring he'd know that one like any foreigner. She was right and the Omega was able to warn his team, Elena standing in the corner so as not to crowd him.

Later, they'd call that the last straw. Unless they were speaking to Hunter, who had a gift for twisting anything into an innuendo. Hanging up after his conversation, Mack waved her over "Alpha," the word was almost the same in both languages so she understood. Elena straddled him and he gave into his instincts, submitting to his Alpha.

Mind clear, they managed to stop Ramon and Lucio from killing Hunter and Morse, who explains in halting Spanish what happened to Francisco while the Omegas unconsciously drift to stand a short distance away. Before he can say anything, Mack glared Hunter into silence. Not that anyone at SHIELD has a problem with male Omegas or female Alphas, in fact it’s essentially the norm there, but Hunter will turn anything into a dirty joke so it’s best to cut him off. Elena agreed to meet them after breaking the news to her aunt. Passing Mack put the man on high alert, confirming the other pair’s suspicions. She would definitely make the meet, her mate was with them. On the ride to the jet, Mack’s nerves were wracked. Bobbi said “You went into heat, didn’t you?”

Mack glared “I know damn well what’s happening, still doesn’t help.”

Hunter said “It’ll get better once you’re marked.” The Brit pretty much flaunted his mark, unless they were in the field and he didn’t want to deal with the stigma. “There’s no language barriers with the bond.” He added with an adoring look at Bobbi who was driving.

Smiling, Bobbi said “Just try to follow protocol at base.” Alphas’ possessive instincts were the strongest during and immediately after mating. Protocol was for both mates to steer clear of other Alphas until the instinct died down, although Jemma seemed to be immune to this problem.

Thank god the Koenigs were Betas, Elena was given a quick rundown on the rules after passing the lie detector. She understood that she and Mack would be a bit isolated for a few days. Afterwards, she’d be alone while they processed her for the Index. An Alpha woman, Agent Daisy Johnson took her from the chair and gave her a tour, “I know you probably want to just be alone with Mack but I also know you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t know where certain things, like food, are.” A moment later, the phone in her hand translated the words for Elena.

“You have a mate?”

“Yeah. Lincoln’s Inhuman like us, he’s also one of the doctors here on base.”

Ending with the personnel quarters, Daisy pointed out each couple’s room so Elena wouldn’t view their proximity as a trespass. She also reminded the other woman that Mack wasn’t fluent in Spanish, giving her the translator “He’ll probably learn for you but that should help for now.”

“Gracias.”

“De nada.” Daisy walked away, probably to find her mate and Elena went inside.

Mack was waiting and Elena showed him the translator, and they just talked for a long while. Both knew the only reason an Omega would go into a sudden heat like he had was if they found a suitable Alpha. Elena blushed a bit when she shared her thoughts on that, she liked big guys but most were other Alphas. Mack only chuckled at that, admitting he didn’t like the idea of being subservient to any Alpha. Elena chalked it up to god’s plan, Mack agreeing it probably was fate.

Mack made sure his neck was visible when they left to join the team for dinner so the others wouldn’t tiptoe around him, thinking he was recently marked. The translator certainly helped keep conversation flowing since they didn’t have to worry about carefully choosing their words to make them easier for whoever spoke both languages. Unfortunately, the translator didn’t have the discretion to ignore Hunter, who made one particularly bad joke about women ruling the pack. Thankfully Elena took the joke in stride. Joey turned the translator off before demonstrating his mastery of the language, making the new Inhuman smile. Daisy said “I totally forgot you’re bilingual.” The conversation picks up pace with Joey translating as they talk instead of after they finish.

* * *

Andrew and Joey volunteered to clean up as the others retire, the former said “It was nice of you to translate-”

“Feels good to speak Spanish again,” Joey cut him off, “I’d like to give teaching Elena English a shot, teaching Mack Spanish might be a bit harder.”

“Why do you say that?”

Joey shrugged “I don’t know, I just think it will be easier to go from Spanish to English than the other way around.” He gave the doctor a playful glare.

A running joke around the Playground was that Andrew used every opportunity to observe the agents. To be fair, he made no secret of the fact that he thought doing so helped him do his job. Anyone can say what they think he wants to hear in a session. Agents- in general, not just those at SHIELD- are known to do whatever it takes to get back in the field, lying to doctors included. As much as they liked to joke about Dr. Garner observing them in their natural environment, everyone knew he had only good intentions and wouldn’t manipulate them to get what _ he _ wants.

Holding his hands up in mock surrender, Andrew said, “I’ll be sure to tell Coulson you offered. I don’t think you’ll have any competition for that assignment after tonight’s demonstration.”

“Cal could probably teach Mack some Spanish,” Daisy’s father had stayed on as a SHIELD scientist after the events on the Iliad. He worked mostly under Dr. Simmons, sharing his research into human enhancement with the kind Alpha, but he was also a bit of a mentor to other scientists, not unlike Holden Radcliffe who came on as a consultant after some of Cal’s research overlapped with his own and Jemma deemed it too important not to share as some diseases could be better treated, if not cured, by the implementation of his research. Radcliffe was like Cal for engineers at SHIELD, which was the extent of his involvement to most agents’ knowledge.

“I’m not sure,” Andrew said “I mean, I know Mack has almost no problem with Cal but as a teacher,”

“I know, he’s not all there and may never be but he is fairly fluent in a number of languages and Mack can understand him at his worst times. I’m not sure I can teach someone Spanish,” said Joey.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but do you think your problem with teaching Mack Spanish stems from the language coming to you naturally?”

“Yeah, maybe. No matter how bilingual you are, one language always comes first, right?”

“Right.”

“So what’s the plan with Elena?” Andrew seemed taken aback. “I mean, are you going to talk to her before Jemma does her readings?” He quickly added “Every situation is different, which is why I’m asking. I don’t think she needs transitioning as much as Daisy and I did, she understands and accepts her gifts.”

“I’m not sure, I think that will wind up being her decision. Daisy gave her the full tour, we’ll see who she goes to first. Mack understands the process, if Daisy didn’t explain it.”

“Right.”

* * *

In their room, Elena turned the translator back on “You really want to do this?” His mind was clear, her proximity could keep it that way without bonding if they wanted to go slow. As humans evolved, Alphas’ rut instinct faded but Omegas continued to go into heat, which was a great mystery of genetics. Technically the instinct was still there but more/less trained out. She wanted to jump him after Francisco left, if she was being honest, but she knew that would be wrong.

Mack smiled as the translation came through, “Of course Alpha.”

She turned off the translator, setting it on the dresser. Locking the door, she began to undress and waved at Mack's fully clothed appearance, the Omega understood. As she laid down, he didn't need any gestures to understand. They lost themselves to primal urges until Elena bit him in the end. Unmated pairs couldn't conceive, which explained why Betas could mark each other and have children. Mack was amazed when he could understand Elena's mutterings as she drifted off on top of him. More amazing was when she could understand him the next morning. He said, "Hunter told me about this, there are no language barriers with the bond."

"How would he know?"

"I guess the same thing happens when Bobbi speaks another language."

"I guess you don't need to learn Spanish after all." Elena began pulling some clothes on, "I'm just getting us food, can't wait to see what other effects the bond has." She was especially interested in the alleged physiological effect. As an effect of mating, Omegas are supposed to be extremely pliant to their Alphas. Mack certainly seemed pliant without the mating bond, although he was still in heat.

Elena didn't even notice a change in her behavior or scent but even Hunter knew to keep his distance from the newly mated Alpha. The effect on other Alphas was even stronger. Bobbi had a strange desire to renew her claim on Hunter and immediately sought Daisy out as the cause dawned on her. She intercepted her friend before she did something she'd regret and cornered her "Mack went into heat in Colombia. I think Elena's unaware of the effects that has on her as his Alpha."

Slumping against the wall, Daisy asked "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Bobbi assured her "Jemma and I have more experience dealing with the effects of the bond. If you'd gone into the lab, she would've stopped you."

"You felt it too, though, right?"

"Even if he wasn't an Omega, I don't think Hunter would have objected to what we were thinking. Lincoln might've been confused, like you are. The effect on Omegas is different. He'd seek you out for protection if Elena was affecting him."

"Someone needs to tell her-"

"A Beta needs to tell her, this is all instincts. Alphas can't do it without being confrontational and Omegas can't do it because of her effect."

"So Joey-"

"Probably will when he sees the effect she's having."

In the kitchen, Joey asked Elena "Did anyone ever explain the effects of an Omega's heat on their Alpha to you?"

"What effects?"

"You're giving off strong pheromones. I can't really tell what they are because I'm a Beta, a peacekeeper but Daisy looked like she was on a hunt and I can only guess she was going after Lincoln."

"I don't understand."

"She's an Alpha-"

"I know."

"You're an Alpha with an Omega in heat. What do you know about Omegas' heats?"

"Omegas go into heat regularly from the day they present or suddenly in the presence of a suitable mate."

"Did you know that an Omega's heat makes their Alpha more territorial?"

"Yes." Elena wasn't stupid so she caught onto the deeper meaning after a few moments "I'm giving off pheromones-"

"- that say he's mine, go take care of yours."

"Dios mio."

"Don't worry. Seems like Alphas that understand are immune or something."

"Good."

As she turned to leave, Joey grabbed her arm lightly to stop her "Emotions kick pheromones into overdrive and you wouldn't leave your Omega for no reason."

"Right."

"How about I just stay here until you're done? Betas make pheromones weaker."

"Gracias."

"I could even walk you back if you're really worried, just as far as the hall."

"I would appreciate that."

Lincoln almost laughed when Jemma pulled him aside to explain the effects of an Omega's heat on their Alpha "I'm a doctor, remember? I know."

"Yes, well, Daisy apparently did not."

"Oh, yeah I didn't think about that. Elena almost set her off, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's gonna be awkward for everyone tonight." When Jemma looked puzzled, "If Elena didn't know then she probably didn't seal their room."

"Oh," Jemma said "And if she didn't think of that then doing so for her would be a trespass, even for a Beta."

"Speaking of, I hope whoever explained the effect she was having mentioned the seal, it could mess with her pheromones depending on her natural temperament."

"That-" Jemma hadn't thought of that.

"Can I get back to work?"

"Of course."


	3. FitzSimmons

Leo Fitz was beyond nervous starting at the Academy. He wasn't worried about not being smart enough, rather he was worried about his heats. The Academy had clear policies regarding different dynamics, or else his mother would never allow him to attend. Leo kept his head down until one of his classmates, an Alpha girl, sat down across from him. She was young for Sci-Ops like him, most of their classmates were coming from university. She introduced herself as Jemma, which he politely returned with a mumbled “Leo.” Most Alphas were male and Omegas female, the odds of two exceptions to the rule like them just happening to meet in a gifted program in a foreign land must be astounding. Curiosity made him actually listen to Jemma’s babble, which he soon found himself returning.

Leo spent his first heat in America alone, though he couldn’t fathom why he was disappointed by that. Standard policy stated that only Betas are allowed to interact with unbonded Omegas in heat, which was for the best as one Omega in heat could have detrimental effects to another’s cycle and Alphas had an instinctive reaction. His heat was overall uneventful.

Jemma made a note of when her friend went into heat, unsure of why exactly she was doing so. She also made sure to meet up with him to go over what he missed after a respectable amount of time had passed since his heat. Alphas were more sensitive to the pheromones of Omegas and vice versa than Betas but beyond recognizing a person’s presentation, they couldn’t actually identify them by scent- thank God. Jemma made sure not to talk about that, they didn’t have a class on dynamics their freshmen year. Although as a bio-chem major, Jemma did have biology courses far above the standard high school one that covered dynamics.

After a few months passed and they grew closer, Leo broached the subject of permits. School policy allowed for students to mate but there was a process, especially when one was an Omega with regular heats. Betas had to undergo a similar, slightly more lax process because mating bonds were just as strong for them and bonded Betas conceived more easily without a heat. He asked her thoughts and Jemma said “I think it’s a wonderful policy,” she saw how he was looking at her, “Oh, you mean for us.”

“Yeah,” said Leo, smiling at her. For such a bright young woman, she often missed the obvious.

“Are you sure?” Jemma said “I mean-”

“I get what you mean,” part of the stigma against female Alphas was their inability to knot mates, which created a stigma against male Omegas as being gay. “I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t sure. You know how the permits work-”

“-and I also know it’s a long process-”

“-designed to ensure students are sure.”

“Well, I don’t see the harm in trying as long as we go through the process.”

The process involved so many talks with psychologists, Leo was convinced they were trying to talk students out of mating but maybe that was just because Leo and Jemma were younger than most. In the end, they got the permits which would allow Jemma the same allowances as Leo during his heat- excused absence and access to his dorm- in addition to giving him access to her dorm. The _ permits _ were just a note in the system for relevant members of staff, what Jemma and Leo actually got were packets explaining where they could go from here. If they went through with mating, which they didn’t have to do even with the permits, then they would likely want to share a space. The packets gave instructions for making arrangements to do so as well as revoking the permits if they decided not to mate. 

Somewhere along the line, Jemma had begun to think of him as her Omega and Leo had begun to think of her as his Alpha. As his next heat neared, they discussed what they wanted to do. After all the talks with psychologists, Leo was nervous about mating. Jemma reminded him that they didn’t have to mate but having an Alpha help him through his heat would make it easier, his mind would be clearer. Leo agreed and Jemma went to his dorm instead of class on the first day of his heat. She found him naked wriggling on his bed, heat wracked his body and his instincts screamed at him to find a mate. An unbonded Omega was always infertile so Jemma knew they were safe without condoms, male Omegas could only use heat suppressants for so long because most were designed for women. As the bed shifted under her weight, his need to mate made him go still before rushing to assume a more inviting pose with neck bared for a mating bite.

Jemma cooed at the desperate Omega, her friend. She placed one hand on his chest in a loving, restraining hold before partially undressing with the other and going down on him.The second the penetration registered, Leo went limp. He was completely pliant, Jemma muttering encouragement as she worked his body.

Later, as they worked on assignments, Leo leaned into her. His heat wasn't over but his mind was clearer and he'd imprinted on her as Alpha. The instinctive bond would fade after his heat without a mating bite.

When the Academy let out for holiday, they went their separate ways and Leo had to deal with a heat alone. He realized he had become dependent on Jemma’s help, the hormonal haze had become unfamiliar with an Alpha on hand to help him through it. Jemma had given him some special SHIELD-grade suppressant that was designed for male Omegas, apparently some field agents fit the bill or something but since they were at Sci-Ops, the faculty didn’t want to run the risk of students experimenting with them so the only way one was supposed to get the pills was directly from staff members, Jemma swiped some and slipped them in his bag. She told him they worked even after a heat began for maximum practicality. With a whine, he swallowed some dry and waited.

Jemma finally gave into his requests their Junior year. She’d managed to talk her way into getting him the special suppressants for school breaks by then. There was no doubt in anyone’s minds that they would mate but up until then, Jemma had been nervous about the effects of the bond she’d studied in her bio-classes. There was as much known as unknown in mating bonds and dynamics. Leo was actually a typical Omega, aside from being male, but Jemma was more similar to Betas in most regards. A normal heat passes with one major difference, a mating bite near the end. They moved into Simmons' dorm, Alphas feel more comfortable with mates in their territory so their mates move.


	4. Static Quake

Waking up in a strange place full of needles like a pincushion, Skye took a few moments to get her bearings. A strange blond man came into the room, moving to stop her from taking the needles out. He was cute and she mentally cheered when her brain identified Omega. An observation she must have voiced because he- Lincoln said "All transitioners are Omegas, because of our non-threatening nature. Even a Beta can put you on edge when your body's just undergone a major change- that- I don't mean you as in Alphas- er-"

"Deep breaths. I get what you mean." She reviewed everything he said "My powers are unstable because I didn't adjust properly."

"Yeah." Lincoln sat down to wait out the process with her, fielding her questions to distract her from the situation.

Lai Shi had one rule that Skye found incredibly strange "So Gordon won't bring you suppressants or take you home? Isn't that dangerous with, y'know, powered Alphas around?"

"Not really. Alphas can't harm Omegas, unless that's what the Omega wants. And without a mating bond, there's no chance of pregnancy. Plus not all of Lai Shi is open like this, there are rooms that seal. I mean, technically, Gordon can and will take me home if I ask, nobody's a prisoner here."

"What is Gordon?"

"He's a Beta, and an elder." Lincoln explained "He and Jiaying are on the ruling council."

"Jiaying?"

"She's like the big boss here."

"What's her gift? Sorry, is that out of-"

"It's fine. Jiaying doesn't age, at least not like we do." He held his hand out, fingers spread to demonstrate his own power.

* * *

When Jiaying told Skye that she was her mother, a long overdue talk was had. The older Alpha said "You and Lincoln are a good match."

"You think so?" Thinking of anyone as her mother would take some getting used to, Skye had admitted early on in the conversation.

"Yes," Jiaying silently debated how much she could say. As head Alpha, she knew the Omegas' heat schedule but whether she should tell Skye about Lincoln's was the question. "Your father and I were well matched before," she saw Daisy clearly filling in the blank wrong, adding "Before Whitehall broke our bond, a broken bond does terrible things to a person."

"Right." Skye said "So Cal's an Omega?"

"He was. The things he did to make himself stronger changed him."

"Your bond broke twice?"

"Yes," Jiaying searched for a change of topic, "Do you like Lincoln as a mate?"

Skye shrugged "I guess. The last Omega I was interested in turned out to be HYDRA, and mated to one of their leaders."

"Grant Ward, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I can guarantee that's not the case here. Lincoln's never seemed interested in an Alpha before."

"Really?"

"I'm not sure how much I can tell you without crossing a line."

"Right, right, of course."

* * *

Knowing he was nearing his heat, Jiaying summoned Lincoln to her office and told him about her relationship with Skye. As head Alpha, she could approve or forbid matches. In Lincoln and Daisy's case, she approved and had to let both of them know.

His heat came a few days after his conversation with Jiaying about Daisy and subsequent talk with Skye about her parents. He explained to the new Inhuman how things worked when an Omega went into heat in Lai Shi and decided to stay rather than ask Gordon for a lift home. She found him in one of the sealable rooms in the headquarters. She'd never seen an Omega in heat before, Lincoln responded to her presence by presenting. The door sealed once she was in but neither of them heard it as she straddled him, gently pressing him down. His mind was too cloudy to do much more than enjoy the ride, letting the Alpha have her way.

Traditionally, the mating bite came at the end of a heat unless they planned otherwise. The end of a satisfied heat was also when an Omega's minds was clearest. During the height of a heat, they wanted to be marked as much as they wanted to be dominated. Skye took care of him through his heat, keeping with tradition by biting him at the end.


	5. Triad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson/Garner/May

Beta-Omega marriages were frowned upon. In all truth, anything but Alpha-Omega, Beta-Beta or triads were looked down on. Still, Melinda and Andrew tried. Her dangerous work frayed his caring Omega nerves and she found his insights into emotions annoying when he kept trying to help her see his side. They divorced and eventually lost track of each other until Director Coulson needed a psychologist he could trust. May recommended Andrew, saying "You and Andrew are at the top of a short list of people I am absolutely sure could never be HYDRA, what more do you want?" when he tried to diplomatically refuse to spare her the pain of working with her ex. Phil wasn’t yet comfortable calling May his outside the general sense that she was part of his team, his pack.

As promised, Andrew easily passed the lie detector. He was able to put each agent at ease for their sessions after observing their unhealthy coping mechanisms and all but demanding they receive some kind of treatment. Coulson could see how May had fallen in love with the kind doctor.

After her divorce, May tried to stick to other Betas to avoid more heartbreak. She knew Ward had an Alpha, which made sleeping with him easier because there were definitely no strings attached with a bonded Omega. For some reason, she found herself feeling jealous when Phil began courting Andrew. It started with small things that could be written off as the head Alpha being nice to a new pack member, talking to him, sharing a beer, small buddy things that grew more intimate until they were couple things. The first time she saw them kissing, May tore through two punching bags before Bobbi played the Alpha card and put her in a restraining hold, barking commands like "Easy, calm down," that had no effect on May's instincts because Bobbi wasn’t her Alpha. Once that thought occurred to her, May went limp and noticed Hunter watching them, silent for once, blocking the doorway which May would bet had been crowded with looky loos when the couple arrived. "If I let go, are you gonna go back into attack mode?"

"No."

Bobbi made sure to keep her hands visible as she backed off, kneeling at May's side and watching the other woman sit up on the mat. "Hunter, close the door."

The usually irreverent Omega silently obeyed, locking the door and grabbing a water bottle for May as he came over to take his place at his mate's side, which only made May's irritation at the situation grow, startling a laugh out of the man. Bobbi's stern look had him calming right down, "You're a Beta, you should know how courtship between triads works." Triads? Oh, Andrew and Phil planned to court her together. If two people were interested in a third, it was considered polite for them to approach courtship as a couple rather than competing for their Intended’s affection. Thinking back, May realized Phil had already tried courting her and she was too ignorant at the time to notice. Triads were rare because the odds of having an Alpha, a Beta and an Omega all share romantic feelings were rare. Hunter gave her a few minutes to process that before saying something that could get him scruffed in most other situations "You know when Andrew's heat is, you could ask Coulson for permission to join." In a triad, it was up to the Alpha to seal the mating bond. A Beta could ask an Alpha or an Alpha could invite a Beta to join in an Omega's heat. This was often seen as bad, taking away an Omega's choice like that but in truth, it was just a way to form a functional triad. Some movies and books depicted it as a form of torture or simple abuse, taking advantage of the vulnerability caused by heat. In lighter stories, it was part of the main character's triumph, the start of their happy ending.

May said "Thanks, I didn’t think of that."

"Welcome." Pretty much everyone on base knew Bobbi had promised never to scruff Hunter, which was a source of great entertainment as Hunter’s lame brained antics often gave them a way to joke about scruffing him without hurting anyone. Mack may look like the opposite of what an Omega should be but Hunter acted it, most of the time.

Standing up, May waved off Bobbi's concern, "I gotta talk to the Director."

"Shouldn't you take care of the bags first?" asked the Alpha, careful not to overstep but equally unwilling to back down. She and Hunter faced a lot of crap when they were undercover in HYDRA, mostly about how an Omega should be and how their behavior reflects on their Alpha. May was sure there was more to it than scruffing. She conceded the point about the mess she’d made and the couple had a sharp whispered conversation while she cleaned it up.

Coulson's door was open and Andrew was inside. May stopped just outside the door, setting her shoulders before walking in and closing the door behind her. Before Andrew could duck out, likely sensing conflict on the horizon, she said "Stay, I need to talk to both of you." The Omega froze, sharing a startled look with the pack Alpha.

"What did you need to talk about?" asked Coulson.

God this was hard, "Hunter’s got it in his head that you two are," she hated being a Beta, Alphas and Omegas had a stronger sense of smell that allowed them to read emotions through pheromones which would make dealing with Phil much easier. "He thinks you're going for a triad with me," she spit it out. Come to think of it, doing this with Andrew present was better, Phil wasn’t a big believer in Alphas' right to make unilateral decisions for Omegas.

Andrew asked "How do you feel about that?" This is why they didn’t work as a couple.

"Is he right?"

"Do you want him to be?"

Coulson cut in "He is. We were going to talk to you after Andrew went off suppressants."

May raised an eyebrow "You do remember that as a Beta, I can’t tell a difference." Betas weakened pheromones in addition to having a weaker sense of smell, which was great for conflict resolution but not so good for detecting an oncoming heat as their presence weakened the warning signs. If others can’t smell a difference, Betas have nothing to go by.

"Uh, no. Are you here for that cliche courtship ritual?"

"Uh, yeah." Phil thought most courting rituals were cliche, which for him meant better left in fiction or the past.

Andrew and Phil shared a surprised look before the former said "I’ll let you know when I go off suppressants." Heat suppressants also weakened an Omega's scent, much like the presence of a Beta. In fact, early suppressants were called scent blockers because they only mimicked the effects of a Beta's presence, blocking the scent, and didn’t actually prevent their heat.

A week later they had The Talk, the mating talk. Aside from cases where an Alpha's mere presence triggers an Omega's heat, in which case instincts often override conscious thought, people usually discuss the details of mating in advance. For instance, Alphas will ask if their prospective mate is comfortable with a visible mark or should they try to bite closer to the shoulder where the mark can be easily hidden. Betas have similar talks, touching on pregnancy because they don’t have the same fertility cycles as Alphas and Omegas. Betas can usually get pregnant as long as they’re marked. Phil was mature enough to know that he had to bite Andrew first to avoid an accidental pregnancy and ensure a proper bond. May could get pregnant as soon as she was bit and the bond with Andrew could be weak if Phil didn’t do it right. All three dynamics were unable to properly scent without a bond. Andrew and Melinda's bond faded, nature viewing it as incomplete without an Alpha allowed them to avoid a risky divorce procedure.

Phil wondered if their old bond would affect their new one. Teen Alphas rut unless they’re naturally sterile, a lot of people, Alphas included, forget that. A teen Alpha who doesn’t have an adult Alpha in their life is more likely to turn out feral because they don’t have anyone to teach them how to suppress their rutting instinct. The blend of possessive and aggressive instincts that can overtake an Alpha during the mating process is a muted form of their natural rutting instinct.

A month after May asked about courting, Coulson put Bobbi in charge as the next highest ranking Alpha and disappeared into his quarters for a week. May remembered to stock up for the week, which kept the rest of the agents from finding out just how strong of an Alpha the Director was. Even with her weaker Beta senses, she could clearly smell the Alpha.

Andrew took contraceptives at the end of his heat, although he doubted they were all young enough to have kids. Bobbi met Phil in the lounge, "SHIELD survived the week. Agent Koenig advised me to make a report so you could jump right back in."

"Thank you."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Soul-Mates](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26167477) by [Blue_Hood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Hood/pseuds/Blue_Hood)


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